The Flying Beetroot: Doing Things The Easy Way

I like to do things the easy way. I only ever take on one task at a time and if there’s a shortcut or an easier path, I’ll take it. I don’t overcommit and I’ll skip something if it seems like too much trouble.

Stop laughing.

Okay, so I was lying.

It would be nice to be that way, though, wouldn’t it? I’m not sure. I’ve never been like that. Is it easier?

I’m beginning to wonder if I have an Overcommitted fetish. I can’t seem to help myself. Personally, I just think that the world is full of new and exciting things and I want to do them all NOW.

So, in between the running and the rowing and the teenager-wrangling, I’ve just started rehearsals for a production of Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona. It’s on in May so the half marathon will be done and dusted but it’s in the middle of the Masters Rowing season so life could get….full. But I figure if I can walk 100 kilometres and then perform a major part in a play the next day (http://wp.me/p3OKST-em), this should be a cinch. I only have a couple of fun minor roles.

You may recall that I have taken on this half marathon having never before competed in a running event. There have been opportunities over the summer to compete in lesser distance events but I’ve resisted them because I’ve always been rather enamoured of the idea of being able to say “my first running event was a half marathon”.

Then a friend sent me a link to a 10km event that’s on the weekend before the half marathon. It was too exciting to resist and so I am replacing my scheduled 10km training run on the Sunday with this event:

As a descendent of Scots on both sides of my family, I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to be doing this race.

Um. MOSY? That race is in Central Park. You know that’s in New York City, right?

Really? Oh well, it’s lucky I’m going to be there that weekend, then.

What was I saying about doing things the easy way? Oh, yes. Instead of spending the last two weeks before the half marathon checking off the last training runs and focussing on my nutrition and hydration, I’ll be schlepping it around the Big Apple.

Mr and Mrs MOSY are abandoning their offspring and flying away for a reason I am not allowed to share but let’s just say Mr MOSY will do anything to avoid a party.

We’ll be back two days before the half marathon. My final preparations will look like this:

Friday
Noon – arrive back from USA
Sometime in afternoon – run last 5km training run
8pm – perform in concert

Saturday
2pm – perform in concert

Sunday
8am – run half marathon
5pm – perform in concert

What? What about the concert? Oh. Didn’t I tell you about that?

Oh, by the way, I am also performing in a concert in memory of my friend Dennis who died last year. (http://wp.me/p3OKST-d9 and http://wp.me/p3OKST-dv) Right after we get back from the USA and on the same weekend as the half marathon.

What??? Why are you looking at me like that??

You didn’t think I’d want to miss it, did you?

It could be worse, you know. There’s a Masters Rowing regatta on the Saturday. I was talking about maybe doing some morning events until one of my crewmates took me by the shoulders and shook me hard. So I said ‘No’. Aren’t you proud of me?

Anyway, the training spreadsheet continues apace as usual:

Did I ever tell you what my friend called this spreadsheet? “How much can one girl fit into her life!!!” Little did she know…

The last three long Sunday runs have had to be in the middle of the day due to other commitments and pending thunderstorms. Last Sunday’s 14km was quite pleasant, run in a balmy 20°C. The 10km on the Sunday before that, not so much. It was 35°C. By the 6km mark, I thought I was going to be sick. At 7km, I was crying. And at 8km, I wondered how long it would take someone to find me if I had a heart attack.

I ran the whole 10 kilometres. And I ran up that hill at the end. And I tried not to throw up at the top.

I think I may have spreadsheet sickness…..

I noticed this week that a side effect of all this running in the summer is that I’ve developed a tan from the bottom of my knees (where my running pants end) to the tops of my ankles (where my socks begin). Well, given my Celtic heritage, “tan” may be stretching it a bit. It’s more like a slightly dirty stain.

One last thing. In a most uncharacteristic burst of belief in myself, despite having not yet successfully completed my first half marathon, I am already planning the next one. Of course, it had to be something different:

Clicking on the image will take you to the website where I highly recommend watching the video on the home page. Ooh, I can’t wait!

And in a sort of Gauntlet Throwing Pay It Forward, I’ve challenged the Spreadsheet Enforcer to do this with me. The only downside being that she prepared her training schedule the other night and then sent me a message to tell me to replace one of my weekly 5km runs with hills work.

Urgh. Hills….

I’d already run up two hills by this point so if it’s not quite in focus….

I know, right? But I didn’t think it conducive to marital harmony to dump The Husband in New York while I flitted off to Wisconsin, Virginia and various Canadian locations. But, you know, if he doesn’t play his cards right….

Wow! The beetroot is going to be beat by the end of all this! I can’t believe how many different things you’re taking on! It exhausts me just looking at it! I can’t believe you’re going to be in NY and we can’t stage a bloggermeetup! How terrible is this? But am sure you and Mr. MOSY need the break together and you’ll have a wonderful time! Can’t wait to read your post about what you find to get into over here!

Beat, crushed and juiced.
Trust me, I would if I could but Mr MOSY has his heart set on seeing as much of New York as possible. I suspect excursions would be frowned upon. At least he’s letting me run. 🙂

Now that’s the kind of schedule that would make my heart beat a little faster with anticipation! …. until I’m in the middle of it and then I’d wonder what on earth I was thinking 🙂
Just amazing MOSY … I’m looking forward to the recap and we’re going to want lots of details 🙂

Oh, I do that ALL THE TIME. It’s like a regular pattern – Starts with “OOH, this looks cool! Let’s do it!” and inevitably morphs into “What was I thinking?? I can’t do this!” But I don’t think and so I do do and it all feels great and I go back for more. 🙂

Twenty-something hours of flying and no blogger meeting? Argh. But this is a trip for The Husband and so he must take priority, of course.
Mind you, we haven’t spent this amount of time just with each other 24/7 for over 18 years. I could be looking for an escape route three days in…. 😉

Seriously this is madness! You are going to burn out for sure. Bits of you will fly off or melt down. Thanks goodness someone made you see sense and say ‘No’ to the rowing event. You do know there is nothing WRONG in taking things easy? Sometimes batteries need to be re-charged you know, otherwise… Relax and take time to smell the roses. Every minute of your life doesn’t HAVE to be filled with something meaningful. Not to mention multiple things. Enjoy New York, have fun, drink, sleep, people watch, sightsee and enjoy the time away from those three boys!

I know [shakes head] you are not going to take ANY notice of what I say. So “Good Luck” and stay safe 😀

You have a disorder. I think it’s something to do with being as unlike me as it’s humanly possible to be. Can’t remember its name.
😦
Jude is entirely correct.
Time you started behaving in a semi-normal style, H …
But of course you won’t.
You must be muscle from head to foot, by now – ‘specially head …
XO

Well, don’t take it personally. You saw for yourself I was like this long before we met. 🙂 I think it’s a genetic disorder. Other members of my family are just as mad.
The day I start behaving in even a semi-normal fashion is the day to book me into the nursing home.

How exciting, I guess it’s a 50th birthday your husband is trying to avoid, perhaps? It would be wonderful to hear you do meet up with some bloggers from the other side of the earth. I admire you in maintaining such a strenuous exercise plan. You are an inspiration Heather! 🙂

You may or may not have guessed correctly, Barbara! My lips are sealed. 😉 I would so dearly love to swing a meeting with at least one fellow blogger but I’m not sure that’s on the itinerary.
Gosh, Barbara. I’m not sure I should be an inspiration. A warning maybe. 😀

Now I know that I am a lady of leisure. Since I have been trying to cram 24 hours into 12 on a regular basis, I thought someone had mislead me about retirement, but clearly not… I clearly have not even started trying.

I’d heard that about retirement (what retirement?). At the rate I’m going I may not make it that far to find out for myself.
Hilary, take my advice and don’t start trying. That way lies madness……
Thanks for dropping by. 🙂

I’m sometimes accused of being tireless but I don’t come anywhere near close by your standards. In fact, I’m now feeling very much like that lazy beetroot on the lounger 🙂 But I AM glad I stopped by to wish you a happy whichever anniversary it is that you will be celebrating in NYC. 🙂

I think I’d prefer to be the lazy beetroot but I can’t seem to manage it. I think Jude may be right. I need help.
Anyway, I’m off to teach rowing this morning. (See, it just never ends….) 😀
Thanks, Jo!

I have, the Husband hasn’t. Last time, it was the early ’90s, I was 24 and alone and I arrived late at night. I hated the place. I think the hopeful plan is that this trip will reprogram my neural pathways with a more positive memory.

I dislike Disneyland on my first visit–how can that be? I did have poir company.

Everyone has their favs in the city. Mine:
–The Met. Mus. of Art (feeling cheap? you needn’t pay admission–it is not a requirement).
–The Amer. Mus. of Nat. Hist. (for one, it has my favorite meteorite : )
–The Cloisters
–Staring at the architecture
As for the Statue if Lib and Emp St. Bldg–eh.
Here’s to your successful reboot. : )

Meh, don’t worry about it. I am an expert at interpreting creative typing. I have a friend on Facebook who puts spaces in the wrong places (so the last letter of a word is at the beginning of the next word for example). She’s also very creative in her spelling. If I can understand her comments, yours are a cinch, believe me.

Thanks for the tips! I have nothing on my list but the Central Park run and a Broadway show (whatever I can pick up cheap tickets to). I figure this is the Husband’s pick so he can plan the itinerary. Last time I saw the Statue of Liberty by taking the Staten Island ferry. Cheaper. And you get to live out a Billy Joel song.

MInd you, there was times when I doubted I would make it. It seemed like an alien intruder (who ate you out of house and home), was on the loose in my house! First number one, then number two, so I guess that was good training for the female coming in at number three!!! But yes, you will survive!!! And be the wiser when you come out the other end. They also become human again in the early 20’s….

Master of What?

I'm on a lifelong search to find the one thing I am spectacularly, naturally, instantly good at. There's a list of what I've tried on my About page. Possibly 'blogger' is not it either, but it fills in the time while I keep looking.

What's it about? Well, this is where it started but it kind of ended up here. It could possibly change again. Just warning you.

Keeping Up

Give me your email address and I'll let you know when the next post is ready for your perusal. Promise I won't do anything unsavoury with it.